The Vince Lombardi Trophy has been the highest accolade in the football stratosphere for the past 57 years, since the Super Bowl was born in 1967.
The trophy is named after the one and only Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers to two consecutive wins for the first two Super Bowls in history.
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The NFL’s tradition of awarding the trophy ultimately recognizes the most outstanding team that season. It is an honor every player strives to achieve for their team.
But besides it’s indisputable level of honorary symbolism, what is it about the Lombardi Trophy that attracts such admiration? Perhaps it is the trophy itself.
Sports trophies have always been something to admire. Olympic gold medals are required to be made out of at least 1.34% of solid gold. The Stanley Cup is made of silver and nickel alloy, and MLB’s Commissioner’s Trophy is sterling silver.
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is similar in that it is made out of precious metal alloy. Here’s a little more about the treasured NFL honor:
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What is the Vince Lombardi Trophy?
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the award received by the victorious team following the NFL’s championship game, the Super Bowl.
Currently, there are two teams tied for possessing the most Lombardi trophies throughout the entire NFL, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots each having six. The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys both have won five Super Bowl trophies. Most recently, the Vince Lombardi Trophy was awarded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
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Teams that have not yet won a Super Bowl include the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.
Four teams have never played in a Super Bowl. Those teams are the Browns, Jaguars, Lions and Texans.
What is the Lombardi Trophy made out of?
The Lombardi Trophy is made out of sterling silver.
Every year, Tiffany & Co. silversmiths design and produce the admired accolade in Rhode Island. Actually, the very first Vince Lombardi Trophy was created in New Jersey, but since 2017, the award has been produced in Cumberland, R.I.
The trophy consists of a regulation-sized football mounted in a kicking position atop a pyramid.
How tall is the Lombardi Trophy?
The Lombardi Trophy is 20.75 inches in height, which is just a hair under two feet.
How much does the Lombardi Trophy weigh?
The trophy weighs 107.3 ounces, which comes out to about seven pounds.
Nearly 68 million adults are expected to place a wager on the Chiefs-49ers match-up, according to the American Gaming Association.
What is the cost to make the Lombardi Trophy?
The trophy costs a total of $50,000 to make. The entire process takes four months and 72 hours to construct.
The value of the Lombardi Trophy is $10,000, however, many deem the award priceless.
Can the Lombardi Trophy float?
Yes, the trophy does in fact float. The seven-pound relic must have less density than water.
Former NFL player Randy Moss proved this when he tossed the trophy straight into the East River during a segment with NFL analysts on ESPN.
Can confirm: The Lombardi Trophy does float 😂 pic.twitter.com/xwwUygL0cp
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 19, 2021
Tom Brady tossed the trophy during the Buccaneer’s Super Bowl parade, following their 2021 win. And though everyone labeled the throw as “wild,” in truth, the trophy would have been just fine had it fallen into the water, because as we know, the trophy floats!
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) February 10, 2021The most impressive pitch and catch of @TomBrady's career 🤯🏆
(🎥: @abcactionnews / @nflnetwork) pic.twitter.com/s88StyvLiE
Does every player receive a Vince Lombardi Trophy if their team wins the Super Bowl?
Considering the monetary worth of the trophy itself, as well as the time it takes to produce just one, the answer is no, players do not all receive their own Lombardi Trophy. However, they are given a mini replica of the trophy, which is worth about $1,500.
The Lombardi Trophy is more of a team-winning honor, and when it comes to individualistic souvenirs, players look most forward to their Super Bowl rings. And these are much more than just accessories for championships.
Tiffany & Co., Balfour and Jostens have been some of the designers for the rings. According to Pro Football Network, “The Chiefs’ rings (from their 2020 Super Bowl win) showed how extreme these could be. Their ring boasted a total of 10 and a half carats of gemstones, including 255 diamonds and 36 genuine rubies. The teams’ rings came out to around a $5 million price tag for the set, though no official price was released.”
